Children's Rights

Like all humans, children have rights. These rights are enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This Convention outlines the rights that children everywhere have: the right to survival; the right to develop to the fullest; the right to protection from harm, neglect and exploitation; and the right to participate fully in family, cultural and social life.

An Agenda for Change

Each year on November 20, National Child Day, Canada celebrates the anniversary of the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Visit CRC-UNICEF and Know Your Rights! to learn about the Convention, read stories and watch videos created by children around the world. The site also includes interactive games and activities, and resources.

Children’s Rights are Connected to the Curriculum

Teachers across Canada are finding curriculum-connected ways to encourage children to become more aware of their rights and to promote respect for human rights in their own community, and worldwide.

For ways you and your students can learn about the Convention and UNICEF’s work to protect the rights of children, visit our Global Classroom Resources section.